Executive Book Summary : Arliss Coulineur 10466860 September 2016

EADM 826.3

The 15 Invaluable
Laws of Growth
By John C. Maxwell

AN OVERVIEW
Are there tried and true principles that are always cer-
tain to help a person grow? John Maxwell says the
answer is yes. He has been passionate about personal
development for over fifty years, and for the first time,
he teaches everything he has gleaned about what it
takes to reach our potential. In the way that only he
can communicate, John teaches . . .

The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself
The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself
The Law of Modeling: It's Hard to Improve When You Have No One But Your-
self to Follow
The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Be-
tween Where You are and Where You Could Be
The Law of Contribution: Developing Yourself Enables You to Develop Others
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
This third book in John Maxwell's Laws series (following the 2-million seller
The Law of Intentionality....... 2
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Team-
The Law of Awareness............ 3
work) will help you become a lifelong learner whose potential keeps increasing
and never gets "used up." The Law of the Mirror ............. 4
The Law of Reflection ............ 4
The Law of Consistency ......... 5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR The Law of Environment ....... 6
John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, The Law of Design .................. 6
and speaker who has sold more than 24 million books in fifty lan- The Law of Pain....................... 7
guages. Often called America's #1 leadership authority, Maxwell The Law of the Ladder………...8
was Identified as the most popular leadership expert in the world
The Law of the Rubber Band .8
by Inc. magazine in 2014. And he has been voted the top leader-
The Law of Trade-Offs ........... 9
ship professional six years in a row on LeadershipGurus.net. He is
The Law of Curiosity .............. 10
the founder of The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell
The Law of Modeling.............. 10
Team, and EQUIP, a non-profit organization that has trained more than 5 million
leaders in 180 countries. Each year Maxwell speaks to Fortune 500 companies, The Law of Expansion ............ 11
presidents of nations, and many of the world's top business leaders. He can be fol- The Law of Contribution ........ 11
lowed at Twitter.com/JohnCMaxwell. For more information about him visit JohnMax- Critical Evaluation & Questions
well.com. ................................................. 12
 CH. 1-THE LAW OF INTENTIONALITY
– GROWTH DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN
Eight Misconceptions about
Growth
1.The Assumption Gap- “ I as-
sume that I will automatically
grow.”
5. The Perfection Gap- “ I have
to find the best way before I
start.”
6. The Inspiration Gap- “ I
don’t feel like doing it.”

2. The Knowledge Gap- “ I 7. The Comparison Gap– Oth-

don’t know how to grow.” ers are better than I am.”

3.The Timing Gap- “ It’s not 8. The Expectation Gap- “ I

the right time to begin.” thought it would be easier
than this.”
4. The Mistake Gap- “ I’m
afraid of making mistakes.”

“ A time comes when you need to stop waiting

for the man you want to become and start be-
ing the man you want to be.”
- Bruce Springsteen

“ ONE’S PHILOS-
OPHY IS NOT MAKING THE TRANSITION TO INTENTIONAL
BEST EX- GROWTH
PRESSED IN
Maxwell (2012) shares, “The sooner you make the transition to becom-
WORDS; IT IS ing intentional about personal growth, the better it will be for you, be-
EXPRESSED IN cause growth compounds and accelerates if you remain intentional
THE CHOICES about it.”
ONE MAKES. IN Below are four ways to make the change:
THE LONG RUN, 1. Ask the Big Question Now
WE SHAPE OUR- (Where do you want to go?)
SELVES.”
2. Do It Now
-ELEANOR ROOSEVELT (‘Later’ is a dream-killer)

3. Face the Fear Factor

( Feed your faith and starve your fear.)

4. Change from Accidental to Intentional Growth

2 (example: Plan to Start Tomorrow——— Insist on Starting Today)

CH. 2-THE LAW OF AWARENESS
– GROWTH DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN
The first step toward change is awareness. The second
“
step is acceptance.” - Nathaniel Branden
10 Questions To Help Start Working Through The Process
1. Do you like what you are doing now?
2. What would you like to do?
3. Can you do what you would like to
do?
4. Do you know why you want to do
what you would like to do?
5. Do you know what to do so you can
do what you want to do?
6. Do you know people who do what
you’d like to do?
7. Should you do what you’d like to do
with them?
8. Will you pay the price to do what
you want to do?
9. When can you start doing what
you’d like to do?
10. What will it be like when you get to
do what you’d like to do?
Maxwell (2012) has stated, “ I’ve
observed that there are really only
three kinds of people when it
comes to having direction in life.”
The following explain each:
1. People Who Don’t Know
What They Would Like To
Do. (These people are often
confused.)
2. People Who Know What
They Would Like to Do But
Don’t Do It. (These people are
usually frustrated.)
3. People Who Know What
They Would Like to Do and
Do It. (These people know them-
selves, possess a strong sense of
passion, are focused in purpose
and do what they were created to
do.)
DREAM BIG
If there were ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily --
but for something that
tugs at your heart
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself
to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.
Dream big.
Know, though, that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be days when you want to
turn around,
pack it up,
and call it quits.
Those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by
trying.
- Author Unknown
3
 CH.3- THE LAW OF THE MIRROR

STEPS TO BUILD
YOUR SELF IMAGE
1. Guard Your Self-Talk

2. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

THE POWER OF POSTIVE 3. Move Beyond Your Limiting Beliefs

SELF-ESTEEM 4. Add Value to Others

Maxwell (2012) has stated that, “If you don’t 5. Do The Right Thing, Even If It’s Not The
realize that you have genuine value and that you
are worth investing in, then you will never put in Right Thing
the time and effort needed to grow to your poten-
tial.” Consider these: 6. Practice a Small Discipline Daily in a
Specific Area of Your Life
 Self –Esteem Is The Single Most
Significant Key To A Person’s Behav-
iour
7. Celebrate Small Victories

8. Embrace a Positive Vision for Your Life

Based on What You Value

9. Practice The One-Word Strategy

 Low Self-Esteem Puts a Ceiling on

Our Potential
CH. 4 THE LAW OF REFLECTION
– LEARNING TO PAUSE ALLOWS GROWTH TO CATCH UP TO YOU

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection . From quiet reflection will come even more
effective action.” - Peter F. Druckler

 The Value We Place on Ourselves Is

Usually the Value Others Place on
Us

Tips for The Power of Pausing to Help You Grow

Tip 1– Reflection Turns Experience into Insight

Tip 2– Everyone Needs a Time and a Place to Pause

Tip 3– Pausing With Intention Expands and Enriches Thinking

Tip 4– When You Take Time to Pause, Use Your I’s

(Investigation, Incubation, Illumination, Illustration)

10 Personal Awareness Questions

1. What Is My Biggest Asset? 6. What Is My Least Worthwhile Emotion?

2. What Is My Biggest Liability? 7. What Is My Best Habit?

3. What Is My Highest High? 8. What Is My Worst Habit?

4. What Is My Lowest Low? 9. What Is Most Fulfilling to Me?

5. What Is My Most Worthwhile Emotion? 10. What Do I Prize Most Highly?

4
CH. 5– THE LAW OF CONSISTENCY
—MOTIVATION GET YOU GOING– DISCIPLINE KEEPS YOU GROWING

How to Grow in Consistency (Questions to Ask Yourself)

1.Do You Know What You Need To Improve?

2.Do You Know How You Are Supposed to Improve

3. Do You Know Why You Want To Keep Improving?

4. Do You Know When

You Are Sup- posed To Im-
prove?

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to

go to bed with satisfaction.” - George Lorimer

4 Simple Suggestions: A Handle On How To

Improve Yourself
MATCH YOUR MOTIVATION TO
YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE.

i) Phlegmatic: The strength of people with

this personality is that they are easygoing
and likeable. The weakness is inertia.

ii) Choleric: The strength of people with

this personality type is that they take
charge easily and make decisions quickly.
BEGIN SMALL AND SIMPLE FOR
There weakness is that if they are not “in
MOTIVATION MOMENTUM
charge,” they refuse to participate.

iii) Sanguine: The strength is that these

people are fun loving people and are usu-
ally the life of the party. Their weakness in
lack of focus.

iv) Melancholic : The strength here is the

attention to detail. Their weakness is they
are afraid to make mistakes.
BE PATIENT!
Every type has its strengths and by tap-
ping into those , you can be successful
when it comes to motivation.

5
 CH.6– THE LAW OF THE ENVIRONMENT
– GROWTH THRIVES IN CONDUCTIVE SURROUNDINGS
At Some Point During Every Person’s True Or False Activity– Ten Statements
Lifetime, There Needs To Be Change
1. Others are ahead of me.

The following six choices can be made to 2. I am continually challenged.

have successful change for growth:
3. My focus is forward.

1. Assess Your Current Environment 4. The atmosphere is affirming.

2. Change Yourself And Your Environ- 5. I am often out of my comfort zone.

ment 6. I wake up excited.

3. Change Who You Spend Your Time 7. Failure is not my enemy.

With 8. Others are growing.

4. Challenge Yourself In A New Envi- 9. People desire change.

ronment 10. Growth is modeled and expected.

5. Focus On The Moment If you answer false to more than five

statements, your current environment
6. Move Forward Despite Criticism

“ Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you
that you are wrong.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

CH. 7 THE LAW OF DESIGN

– TO MAXIMIZE GROWTH, DEVELOP STRATEGIES
Helpful Tips To Plan And Develop Strategies For Your Life Growth

1. Life Is Very Simple but Keeping It That Way Is Very Difficult.

2. Designing Your Life Is More Important Than Designing Your Career

3. Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal

4. In Planning Your Life, Multiply Everything by Two

To Develop Strategies, Depend on Systems

Maxwell (2012) asks and explains that, “What is a system?” He also defines the word by stating
that, “It’s a process for predictably achieving a goal based on specific, orderly, repeatable princi-
ples and practices. Systems are deliberate, intentional, and practical.” Maxwell also adds, “A life
without any systems is a life where the person must face every task and challenge from scratch.”

What Systems Include

Keep these guidelines in mind:

1. Effective Systems Take the Big Picture into Account

2. Effective Systems Make Use of Priorities

3. Effective Systems Include Measurement

4. Effective Systems Include Application

5. Effective Systems Employ Organization

6. Effective Systems Promote Consistency

6
 EVERYONE HAS A PAIN
FILE

MAXWELL’S PAIN FILE

Below listed are pains that became

gains over time:

 The Pain of Inexperience

 The Pain of Incompetence

 The Pain of Disappointment

 The Pain of Conflict

 The Pain of Change

 The Pain of Bad Health

 The Pain of Hard Decisions

 The Pain of Financial Loss

 The Pain of Relationship

Losses

 The Pain of Not Being Num-

“ A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to ber One
make the turn.” - John C. Maxwell
 The Pain of Traveling

CH. 8 THE LAW OF PAIN  The Pain of Responsibility

— GOOD MANAGEMENT OF BAD EXPERIENCES LEAD TO GREAT

GROWTH

Maxwell’s Knowledge of Bad Experiences

1. Everyone Has Them

2. No One Like Them

3. Few People Make Bad Experiences Positive Experiences

How To Turn Your Pain Into Gain

1. Choose a Positive Life Stance

2. Embrace and Develop Your Creativity

3. Embrace the Value of Bad Experiences

4. Make Good Changes after Learning from Bad Experiences

7
 CH. 9– THE LAW OF THE LADDER
REMEMBER THE BIG – CHARACTER GROWTH DETERMINES THE HEIGHT OF YOUR PERSONAL
PICTURE GROWTH

RECOGNIZE THAT RUNGS ON MY CHARACTER LADDER–

EVERYONE HAS What MATTERS Most:
WEAKNESS 1. I will focus on being better on the
inside than on the outside—
BE TEACHABLE Character Matters.

BE WILLING TO SERVE 2. I will follow the golden rule—

OTHERS People Matter.

3. I will teach only what I believe–

Passion Matters.

4. I will have humility above all virtues

Perspective Matters.

5. I will strive to finish well–

Faithfulness Matters. “Habit is the Potential
daily battleground of character.”
Your Growth
The Stronger Your Character, the Greater
- Dan Coats

CH. 10– THE LAW OF THE RUBBER BAND

– GROWTH STOPS WHEN YOU LOSE THE TENSION BETWEEN WHERE YOU

THE BENFITS OF TENSION

1. Few People Want to Stretch

2. Settling for the Status Quo Ultimately Leads to Dissatisfaction

3. Stretching Always Starts from the Inside Out

4. Stretching Always Requires Change

5. Stretching Sets You Apart from Others

6. Stretching Can Become a Lifestyle

MAXWELL’S SERIES OF STRETCHES

Choosing His First Pastorate– Maxwell was, “determined to work hard and be crea-
tive in finding ways to lead people and grow my church.”

Focusing on Teaching Leadership– Maxwell states that, “by stretching through” his
experiences he is able to “discover the message the I believe I was born to teach.”

Learning to Communicate Internationally- “I saw this as an opportunity to stretch

and grow– and maybe someday make a greater impact.”

Crossing Over to a New Audience– Maxwell was a great public speaker as a pastor
but his book sales soared. “I seen this as an incredible opportunity to reach many more
people than I otherwise would.”

Focusing on Building a Legacy– “It would mean stretching again, but I was willing
to seize the opportunity– and accept the challenge.”

8
CH.11 THE LAW OF TRADE–OFFS
– YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP TO GROW UP

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRADE-OFFS

 Trade-Offs Are Available to Us Throughout Life

 We Must Learn to See Trade-Offs as Opportunities for Growth

 Trade-Offs Force Us to Make Difficult Personal Changes

 The Loss of a Trade-Off Is Usually Felt Long Before The Gain

 Most Trade-Offs Can Be Made at Any Time

 A Few Trade-Offs Come Only Once

 The Higher You Climb, the Tougher the Trade-Offs

 Trade-Offs Never Leave Us The Same

 Some Trade-Offs Are Never Worth The Price

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would
achieve much must sacrifice much.”- James Allen

TRADE-OFFS WORTH MAKING

5 “I Am Willing to Give
Up…” Statements
1. I Am Willing to Give Up
Financial Security Today
for Potential Tomorrow.

2. I Am Willing to Give Up
Immediate Gratification
for Personal Growth.

3. I Am Willing to Give Up
the Fast Life for the Good
Life.

4. I Am Willing to Give Up
Security for Significance.

5. I Am Willing to Give Up
Addition for Multiplica-
tion.

9
 CH.12– THE LAW OF CURIOSITY
– GROWTH IS STIMULATED BY ASKING WHY?
How to Cultivate Curiosity swer

The following ten suggestions are recom- 8. Get Over Yourself

mended for cultivating curiosity:

1. Believe You Can Be Curious

2. Have a Beginners Mind-Set

3. Make Why Your Favorite Word

4. Spend Time With Other Curious

People

5. Learn Something New Every

Day

6. Partake in the Fruit of Failure

7. Stop Looking for the Right An-

“ The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”

- Dorothy Parker

CH. 13 THE LAW OF MODELING

– IT’S HARD TO IMPROVE WHEN YOU HAVE NO ONE BUT YOUR-
SELF TO FOLLOW
Helpful Tips To Be Selective In Who You Choose As A Mentor

1. A Good Mentor Is A Worthy Example

2. A Good Mentor Is Available

3. A Good Mentor Has Proven Experience

4. A Good Mentor Possesses Wisdom

5. A Good Mentor Provides Friendship and Support

6. A Good Mentor Is A Coach Who Makes A Difference in People’s

Lives

5 Common Characteristics of Good Coaches

 Care for the people they coach.

 Observe their attitudes, behaviour, and performance

 Align them with their Strengths for Peak Performance

 Communicate and Give Back about Their Performance

 Help Them to Improve Their Lives and Performance

10
 CH.14- THE LAW OF EXPANSION

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR THINKING

CAPACITY
1. Stop Thinking More Work and Start Thinking What Works.

2. Stop Thinking Can I? and Start Thinking How Can I?

3. Stop Thinking One Door and Start Thinking Many Doors.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CAPACITY

FOR ACTION

1. Stop Doing Only Those Things You Have Done Before and Start Doing
Those Things You Could and Should Do.

2. Stop Doing What Is Expected and Start Doing More Than Is Expected.

3. Stop Doing Important Things Occasionally and Start Doing Important

Things Daily.

CH. 15 THE LAW OF CONTRIBUTION

– LEARNING TO PAUSE ALLOWS GROWTH TO CATCH UP TO YOU

Every day Ben Franklin asked himself in the morning, ‘What good shall I
“

do today?’ and in the evening, ‘What good have I done today?’” - John C.
Maxwell

Suggestions To Assist You To Cultivate An

Attitude of Contribution
1. Be Grateful.

2. Put People First.

3. Don’t Let Stuff Own You.

4. Don’t Let People Own You.

5. Define Success As Sowing, Not Reaping.

6. Focus on Self-Development, Not Self-Fulfillment.

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 CRITICAL EVALUATION
John C. Maxwell explains growth in a unique way. Maxwell
brings you to the point to where you begin to discover yourself
and your purpose. The book offers a window to look at one’s
growth in many areas. The 15 Laws will guide you into some re-
flective questions and thoughts. They incorporate what you’re
learning in everyday life. I found myself reflecting, questioning
and challenging myself to become a better person. This develop-
ment has begun the minute I began reading this book. I found
myself tapping into some hurtful and quite uncomfortable times
in my life. Maxwell’s words have helped me see past those hard
times and look forward and see my potential. Much is needing to
be said about the EADM 826.3 class I took this past summer. It
has helped me reflect and build on my failures to become a better
leader through the human resource component. I am very thank-
ful I had Dr. Keith Walker suggested this book. I know I will keep
learning and growing every day over the course of many years. I
highly recommend this book for those who need a second chance
in their profession.

Arliss Coulineur
Grade 9/10 Teacher Questions
White Buffalo Youth Lodge
Oskayak High School
1. What is your underlying desire in life?
602 20th Street West
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 2. Is it self-fulfillment or self-development?
S7M0X7 3. Are your efforts designed to make you fell good?
4. Or to make you be your best?
W.B.Y.L. Ph: (306) 653-7676
5. Is your goal to be successful?
6. Is your goal to achieve significance?
7. Are you trying to put yourself in a place to help others
win?

Reference

Maxwell, J. C. (2012). The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach
Your Potential. Hachette UK.